While I was in France, I went to the Louvre. It’s another item I successfully marked off of my bucket list. This museum is so astounding and breathtaking, and HUGE.

I wore a simple, comfortable outfit that I could walk long distances in, and that would also be warm. Museums filled with marble and tile tend to be very cold.

My best tips for navigating and enjoying the Louvre is to go very early. I went as soon as it opened and there was still a twenty minute wait to get inside. They have crowd control so that the museum doesn’t become a hazard, but I can assure you it’s still extremely crowded.

Bring water bottles. Any time an Uber or hotel offers you sealed bottled water, take it, it will cost even more than usual to buy it at such a crowded place like the Louvre.

Most importantly, have fun, looking at art doesn’t have to be boring, look for pieces that call your attention and study them. You might find really awesome “easter eggs” in the paintings and find deeper meaning in them.

Here is how crowded it was when we first arrived. Crazy!

Note: The Mona Lisa is stunning in person but it’s VERY difficult to get anywhere it. If you want to get a photo with her, you have to go around the edges of the crowd and squish yourself in.